Prom Night
by Mikuzu
Summary: Ojou's Prom was coming up, and Shin knew exactly who he wanted to invite. Strangely enough, Sena was okay with it. Shin/Sena


a/n: Finally! A Shin/Sena! I hope you enjoy reading this, because I really enjoyed writing it. :)

* * *

It was an ordinary Monday at Oujou High School when the bell rang; Shin, gathering his school supplies, crammed them into his overly stuffed book bag.

He sauntered over to Sakuraba, who was waiting at the class room door with a smile plastered on his face.

"What?" the raven-haired boy asked, slinging one strap of his heavy bag onto his back.

Still grinning, the blond withdrew a crumpled sheet of paper from his pocket; quickly he smoothed out the sheet, smacking it against the hallway wall as the two made their way to their next class, which was gym.

Staring blankly at the paper, Shin's eyes scanned over what it read.

_Oujou High School Senior Prom, Friday from 8:30 pm to 1:30 am. Admittance fifty dollars. Formal attire only._

"So?"

"What do you mean, so? We're the football team! We have to be there!" Sakuraba replied, staring at his friend incredulously.

"We're not seniors," Shin pointed out, taking the flyer from the taller boy's hand.

"We can still go, though," the ex-model continued. "It's open to everyone but freshman. Even people from other schools can be invited."

The raven's eyes widened ever so slightly at this comment. Then, they narrowed once more.

"Where are we going to get fifty dollars?"

"My agency said they'd cover it." Sakuraba paused, contemplating his rival's expression. "So, do you want to go?"

"With you?"

"No, not with me!" the blonde sputtered, grabbing the gym door and flinging it open. "Ask someone else!"

Nodding, the dark-haired male followed his friend into the wide expanse of a room that was their gym.

After taking attendance, the class went to the locker room to change; Shin noticed several prom posters were put up on the walls.

As a result, the entire class chatted about the upcoming dance as they changed into their uniforms.

"Who are you going to ask, Sakuraba?" a classmate asked as the receiver tied his right shoe. "I bet you could get any girl to go with you."

Sakuraba blanched a bit at the sudden question; somewhat desperately, he looked to Shin for help. The linebacker merely motioned for him to follow him as he left; Sakuraba almost ran into his teammate, however, for Shin had stopped in his tracks upon exiting the locker room.

Sena Kobayakawa, Deimon's running back, was currently on his hands and knees in front of the bleachers, taping prom flyers to the seats.

Sakuraba looked once more to Shin, wanting some kind of explanation. "Isn't that Eyeshield twenty one?" he began, but Shin was already walking towards their rival, a fervent glint worn in his coal-colored eyes.

Sighing, Sakuraba proceeded to their coach, who was handing out basketballs.

"Kobayakawa Sena," Shin greeted the petite boy from behind. Somewhat startled, the boy dropped the flyers he was holding.

'Shin-san!" the brunet exclaimed, surprised as the linebacker leant down to help him pick up the now scattered papers.

"You've been putting the flyers up?" the raven asked, handing the sheets back to the boy; their hands brushes lightly as he did so. Sena quickly muttered a "thank you."

"Yeah, since this morning," the brunet replied, standing up and smiling softly at the young man before him. "Mamori-neechan is on the city-wide school committee, and so she offered to help Ojou organize their prom, and I said I'd help…"

"Are you going?" Shin interrupted, his eyes smoldering with curiosity and something else Sena couldn't quite pinpoint.

"Uh…I don't have a date, so…"

"Do you want to go?"

"I wouldn't mind; Mamori-neechan said it was going to be really fun."

"I'll go with you," Shin replied, his volume dropping about two decibels. Sena's eyes widened tenfold.

"G-Go with you? Uh, I guess I could," he stammered, once again almost losing his grip on the prom flyers.

Giving the boy before him a small grin, Shin felt a load of pressure lift itself from his shoulders; finally, he would have a chance to really get to know Eyeshield twenty one.

And get to know him he would; Shin stared down at the small male before him, who fidgeted ever so slightly under his piercing gaze.

"Uh, Shin-san," Sena began, eyeing the defense player warily. "Shouldn't you go to class now? I have to go the cafeteria…"

"Oh. I'll see you later," the raven answered, glancing over his shoulder at what were his peers, specifically at Sakuraba who seemed to be glaring at him.

"Bye," the brunet muttered, turning towards the exit. Before he could begin his trek to the forum of the school, however, a firm hand grabbed his shoulder.

"Sena," Shin began once again, his ebony eyes meeting the chocolate of the running back's optics once more. "I'm looking forward to Friday night."

"Uh..me, too," the Deimon player replied, somewhat confused by Shin's actions. Usually, he was intense and focused; then again, Sena had never encountered Shin in a social environment such as school.

Slowly, his shoulder relaxed under Shin's strong hand.

"Do you think maybe you could stay a bit longer?" the short-haired boy continued to question, his grip also softening. "I'd like to talk to you after class."

Sena's stomach began to lurch; Shin wanted to talk to him? But that was like having lunch with your idol…and also your biggest competition.

"Uh…sure," the running back replied, his skin feeling oddly colder as Shin slowly withdrew his hand from his shoulder.

With one last all too brief smile, Shin sprinted towards his coach, explaining whatever had just happened.

Sena sunk to the floor, the flyers rolled up tight in his hand. He groaned inwardly as he watched Shin join up with Sakuraba; his first date ever, and he was going as a friend with Shin Seijuro.

Not that that was a bad thing in any respect; Shin seemed like a nice enough guy, and it'd be pretty interesting to watch him dance.

Shin and Sakuraba had just been put into teams to play basketball; Sena watched the pair curiously. He knew how they fared in football, and they were probably adept in other sports, too; particularly Sakuraba in basketball, because he was so tall.

He found himself paying specific attention to the raven, however; the game was beginning to get intense, and beads of sweat were forming on his neck and brow. The two teams continued playing until, finally, a boy that appeared to be the White Knight's quarterback scored a goal.

Sena checked his phone; half an hour had passed since the start of second period. He was still watching the game; Sakuraba and Shin's team were behind, he thought. Just then, Shin called for a time out; he made his way over to the other side of the bleachers Sena had finished decorating with prom flyers.

What Shin did next, the brunet wasn't prepared for; the linebacker quickly stripped off his shirt, discarding it on the floor next to the gym office.

Sena stared, disconcert tainting his face, as well as a slight tinge of pink; the game was then called back on and the brunet was forced to watch his prom "date" play basketball, running up and down the court, jumping, blocking, putting his hands all over someone else…

The running back couldn't help but watch. He had never seen Shin shirtless before; the boy's arduous training paid off, because he certainly looked like he worked out.

His taut muscles rippled under his ivory skin as he moved, trying to block some red-haired fellow from making a shot.

Sena checked his watch again; class was almost over. Sighing, he glanced back over at the flyers in his hand; he didn't know how much more of this he could take.

Just then, the coach blew his whistle; the teams shook hands and Shin and Sakuraba made their way back to the locker room.

"Hey, Shin," the blond began, removing his own t-shirt. "Have you thought about who you're going to take to prom?"

"I already asked someone," was the somewhat blank reply; Shin couldn't fool his friend, however. His voice was absolutely brimming with pride.

"You did? Who?" he asked in disbelief, dropping his shirt on the dirty locker room floor.

"You'll find out Friday," the raven responded, shoving his shorts into his book bag.

"Aw, don't be like that," the wide receiver complained, nudging his peer with his elbow. "Is it Wakana?"

"No."

"Tell me."

Shin hesitated. Then, he sucked in a lungful of air, his gaze fixed on the aglet of his left shoelace.

"Kobayakawa Sena," he admitted, not wanting to see the expression on his friend's face.

Sakuraba frowned. "So, you're going as friends?"

Now, it was Shin's turn to frown. "What do you mean?"

"You're going with him as a friend," the ex-model explained, confused by Shin's own confusion. "What do you think I meant?"

The dark-haired boy quickly glanced over to the locker room door, where he knew Sena waited for him beyond it.

"I'll talk to you later," he muttered before grabbing his bag and exiting the room; Sena was, in fact waiting for him, his head resting on his folded arms, which lay across his bent knees. Upon seeing Shin arrive, he stood up, smiling weakly.

"Come with me," the linebacker said, motioning towards the gym exit. "I need to talk to you somewhere else."

Nodding, the offense player followed his rival, wondering just what was so important that they had to talk about that required moving. Shin lead him down the hall, to the left and into an empty class room; the two went in and the linebacker closed the thick, wooden door behind them. All was silent.

Slowly, his breathing getting somewhat ragged, Shin approached Sena, his face a mere foot away from his counterpart's. Sena's face only reddened once again, the thought of Shirtless Shin still fresh in his mind.

"What did you want to talk about?" the brunet asked somewhat hurriedly, backing up a bit into the white board behind him.

"Are we just going as friends?" was the somewhat quiet question that met Sena's own.

Sena gulped. "Going as friends where?"

"To the prom."

"Oh…uh, yeah. Aren't we?"

Shin drew closer still, until his mouth was practically against his fellow player's left ear. Sena shivered slightly at the feeling; it wasn't unpleasant, but he could feel every breath the Oujou player took.

"That's not what I intended when I asked," the raven replied, causing tiny shudders to rack the small boy before him as his breath tickled his ear, and the sensitive skin of his neck.

Sena's eyes dropped to half mast. If what he thought was happening here was really happening, then maybe he wasn't going to stop it.

"If you want to go with me some other way," the brunet began, not really sure what he was saying or how Shin would react, "then just ask."

"Alright." The dark-haired male's eyes burned with even more intensity then Sena had seen while he played in gym. "Would you go-"

Just then, however, the door swung open and in stepped Mamori, a tote bag in one hand and a notebook in the other.

"Sena! Are you in here? I have more flyers, in case you-"

She, too, stopped short as she observed what was before her; two boys, one looking embarrassed and startled and the other annoyed and determined practically pressed up against each other, Sena's wrist held firmly in Shin's right hand.

"I'm so sorry!" she exclaimed, backing out of the door once again. "I'll come back later!"

_Come back later? _Shin thought he was getting a headache.

The two separated, completely shocked by the sudden turn of events.

Awkwardly, the linebacker turned to his rival.

"Will I see you again this week?" he asked, his eyes fixed on the desk in front of him; he couldn't bear to look Sena in the face at the moment.

"I don't think so," was the somewhat rushed reply. Shin nodded slowly.

"Then I'll see you Friday." He paused. "Sena."

And with this, the two parted ways, Shin wishing that he hadn't let things get uncomfortable and Sena hoping to God that Mamori wouldn't say anything about this to Hiruma.

The week passed by a little too quickly for Sena's tastes; as promised, he didn't see Shin again, but the night of the prom was looming closer with every second.

The day was Friday, the day of the prom, and Shin was dripping with anticipation. He fidgeted all the way through Calculus, and could barely stand sitting through last period Economics.

Finally, the final bell of the day rang, and Shin promptly left the class room, waiting impatiently for Sakuraba at the water fountain so that the two could talk as promised.

"So…today's the big date with Eyeshield," the blond stated as soon as he saw his serious friend, who was checking his watch about every five seconds. "Time doesn't go by that quickly, you know."

"I don't think he thinks it's a date," was the somewhat trained reply as Shin began walking towards the school exit, Sakuraba hot on his trail.

"What, so it is?" the taller asked incredulously, his long strides matching Shin's quick steps perfectly.

"I thought of it as…" The dark-haired male trailed off. "It's not important. I don't know why I feel this way."

"Are you upset or something?" "No. I'm not upset."

"Maybe you're just nervous," Sakuraba concluded, sarcasm hidden somewhat in his voice.

Shin's eyes widened slowly; is this how it felt to be nervous? He didn't know. This tight feeling in his stomach, his sudden paranoia; yes, this had to be anxiety.

"Somewhat," was the brief reply as the two walked outside and made their way to the train station.

Sakuraba nearly dropped his book bag.

"You're nervous? But you've never been nervous! Not even for our first game!" he exclaimed, running in front to look Shin in the eye.

"I was a little nervous," was the steady reply as the two entered the train station.

Carefully, Sakuraba took Shin's ticket and got both of them in through the gate; the last thing he needed was Shin breaking it while he was _nervous_…again.

"This is my stop," the blond said as the conductor called out his street. He glanced at Shin, doubt in his eyes. "Are you gonna be okay?"

"I'm okay now," the raven assured him. "I'll see you at school later."

"Uh…yeah," Sakuraba replied, smiling feebly. As soon as the door opened and he stepped into the station once again, he frowned; Shin hadn't even bothered to ask who his date to the prom was.

He'd just have to find out that night.

Meanwhile, Shin was standing awkwardly on the train, wondering vaguely if he should be training with the subway handles.

He didn't know why he was feeling so apprehensive about the prom; he had actually looked into it a bit. He had washed his suit the day before, and even had Takami look it up dancing etiquette for him on some websites.

Finally, after what seemed like endless riding, the train slowed to his stop. He promptly got off and headed for his house, where he knew he'd probably find it empty.

"Eh? Oujou's Prom?" Monta asked Sena, giving the petite boy an accusing look. "You didn't ask me if I wanted to go!"

"I didn't ask to go," the brunet said in response as he scanned his closet, trying to pick out something suitable to wear.

"Then why are you going?" The receiver flopped onto Sena's bed, watching his friend pull out a particularly spotless collared, button down shirt.

"I was asked," the running back replied, laying it down on his dresser. He pulled out a pair of black slacks afterwards.

"By who?"

Sena hesitated. "Shin Seijuro."

"_Shin Seijuro_ asked you to the prom?" the monkey-resembling individual repeated in disbelief, his eyes widening in shock at his teammate. Then, he scowled. "He's gotta have some hidden motive behind it."

Sena blanched at this statement; why hadn't he thought of that before? But then again, Shin wasn't that kind of guy; his thoughts jumped fleetingly to their encounter in the empty classroom, especially what he had said. That can't be the reason.

"I don't think so," the brunet replied, slowly peeling off his t-shirt and discarding it in his hamper. He reached for the dress shirt.

"Well, whatever." Monta flipped over onto his back, his eyes staring up at the ceiling. "So, you're first date and it's as friends, huh? Bummer."

Sena's mind jumped once again to his and Shin's conversation; did it really matter if they were going as friends or not? It's not like Shin would act any different.

Sena simply shrugged and proceeded to change into the rest of his selected clothes. Monta just sighed.

"I guess I'll talk to you later," the catcher then said, standing up, grabbing his jacket, and making his way to the door. "Maybe I can ask Mamori if she'll go with me."

"Yeah…bye." Sena would've added that asking Mamori would be a lost cause, but some things are better left unsaid.

Somewhat anxious, he checked the clock; it was 6:30 pm. Prom started in one and a half hours. All he could do now was wait.

_8:00 pm_

The prom was being held in Oujou's Gym; the floor had been covered in black paper, the walls were draped with black sheets spotted with glistening 'stars' (broken tinsel), and a disco ball and soft white lights lit up the room. The theme was "starry night under the sky." Shin was standing by the punch bowl, a cup of the fruity beverage held in his hand.

He checked his watch; it was 7:30. They were admitting people in at 7:45. He had been let in early because he had agreed to help with some last minute things, such a moving in the ice and setting up the DJ stand. Deimon's team manager, Anezaki Mamori was there also, as was their quarter back, Yoichi Hiruma.

"Thank you, um, Shin-san," Mamori said gratefully, tapping her pen against her clipboard. "I really am sorry about the other day when I walked in on you and Sena-"

"Uh, that's okay," the raven replied, not at all liking the expression that the blond demon behind her wore at her words.

"Because there's so many people outside, we've decided to start the prom a little early," Mamori continued, looking to Hiruma. "I'm trusting you with crowd control. Can you do it?"

Hiruma just smiled wickedly, brandishing his AK-47. "Why would you even ask that, fucking manager?"

And with that, he left, leaving the stench of genius behind him.

Shin made his way to the bathroom as Mamori left to tend to the provisions put out along the foldable table she had set up.

Once he entered the restroom, he stared at himself for a while in the full-length mirror; he looked a little too formal for his tastes, his dark blue suit making his eyes stand out vividly. He had kept his hair the same way; if he'd try anything too drastic, Sena might not recognize him.

He saw the color in his face darken a shade as thoughts of his rival came to his mind; what would he be wearing? How would he act? What would he think of him?

Pushing these thoughts out of his head, Shin remembered where he was and what was happening; he could hear faint music begin to pulse in the bathroom, no doubt coming from the enormous speakers he had helped set up, and it slowly grew louder until it was almost deafening.

"That's too loud, Suzuna!" he heard Mamori screech as the music ceased. He guessed they were doing a sound check.

Somewhat complacent, he exited the Men's bathroom, entering the main gym once more; some people had begun to pool around the gym entrance, the only thing holding them back being Hiruma and his demand for their already purchased tickets.

Mamori had changed into a dress; it was a slightly snug fitting rose pink satin gown that subtly curved into a bell shape at the waist line. It looked good enough.

Slowly, the gym was filling up with people dressed in fancy attire; ten minutes passed, and the gym was completely full, fast-paced pop music playing at full blast as couples danced.

Shin looked around; he didn't see Sena, but he did see several faces he did recognize: Akaba from the Bando Spiders, Kid and Riku Kaitani from the Seibu Wild Gunmen, Kakei and Mizumachi from the Kyoshin Poseidons, Agon, Unsui, and Ikkyu from the Shinryuiji Nagas and some others.

His gaze narrowing, he walked the outskirts of the room to get to the door for some fresh air; as he was walking to the parking lot to see if maybe Sakuraba had arrived, he saw a familiar head of spiky, brunet hair.

"Sena?" he asked in a hushed voice, turning to face the oblivious figure that walked by.

"Shin-san?" an exceedingly recognizable voice replied; Shin looked down and saw what was his date, clad in a white collared shirt and black dress clacks.

The top button of the shirt was undone; Shin could faintly see the boy's collarbone. He felt his breath catch in his throat; he couldn't quite pinpoint it, but there was something different about Sena. Something that seemed to make him glow, almost.

Sena's lucid amber eyes scanned the young man before him; Shin looked incredibly handsome, if he was even allowed to think that. His charcoal eyes seemed to come alive against his royal blue suit; they stared intensely into Sena's own and he wondered fleetingly if Shin was reading his mind.

"You look good," the elder breathed, his words drifting like vapor trails in the cold night air.

"Thanks," the brunet replied, fidgeting slightly under his opposer's stare. "You do, too."

"Let's go in," Shin then promptly said, extending his elbow towards the petite boy.

Sena's eyes widened; did Shin really expect him to take his arm?

The more he stared into those smoldering, onyx eyes, the more he felt that he should, even if only out of manners.

Awkwardly, Sena wrapped his arm around Shin's own, and the two made their way to the inside of the gym; the running back took every aspect of the room in as they pushed their way through the crowd toward the front of the room by the DJ stand.

Sena couldn't help but tap his foot at the rapid, pounding bass that thudded through the large room; Shin, slowly loosening his tie a bit, kept his eyes on Sena, and began to move in rhythm with the music.

It couldn't really be called dancing, but Sena had no idea Shin could…_move_ like that. So deliberately and rhythmically yet still keeping his gaze locked on Sena.

Despite his demure manner, the brunet felt that he had to do something; he couldn't just stand and watch Shin dance. So, somewhat unsurely, he began to move to the beat as well, repeatedly bumping into the couple to his left, right, and back; that didn't matter however, because he was actually at his first prom with Shin Seijuro, dancing and undeniably having some fun.

"There's punch," Shin then interrupted, bringing Sena back to reality.

"Uh, what?" he asked, not sure what his partner had just said.

"Punch. To drink."

"Oh. Sounds great."

"I'll go get you some," the dark-haired boy said, briskly pushing through the dancing mass of students once more.

"You don't have to," Sena called after him, but he was already gone. The running back was in disbelief; someone was actually getting something for him.

A smile crept up on his face as he looked up, admiring the turning disco ball fixed on the ceiling. He hoped one o'clock wouldn't come any time soon.

Meanwhile, Riku and Kid were conversing by an artificial tree, discussing the other football players at the prom.

Finally, Shin and Sena came up.

"They both run at light speed," Riku began, his expression somewhat perplexed. "You think they'd dance a little faster."

Kid let out a small chuckle. "What I want to know is what those two must be planning together."

Riku frowned, his face looking as though he'd eaten a sour grape. "I don't want to know."

In the meantime, Shin was taking this time to once again visit the restroom; inside, he splashed his face with water, careful not to get his hair wet.

Watching Sena dance…that was something he was going to have to learn to desensitize himself to. For some reason, it made him feel 'nervous' again…or was that the feeling?

As he made his way to the door, it flung open by itself; in stepped Sakuraba, his face flushed and sweat running down his neck.

"Oh, hey, Shin," he said, grinning from ear to ear. "How's it going with Sena-san?"

"Fine," was the immediate reply. If Shin admitted how he really felt around Sena, they might lock him up.

"You know, there's this empty place in the courtyard where they set up all of these nice lights and a fountain and everything," Sakuraba began, doing as Shin had done with the sink water. "People are saying it's where you go to have a first kiss with your date."

Shin's eyebrows almost raised into his hairline. A kiss? With your date?

Then, Sakuraba raised his eyebrow.

"I think you should take Sena-san," he said quite seriously, shutting off the faucet.

"Why?" Shin asked defensively, taking a step forward. Sakuraba frowned.

"No need to get angry," he replied, looking up and meeting his friend's gaze. "You like him, right?"

"Of course. That's why I asked him."

"Do you really like him?" Sakuraba continued, a sly smile worn on his face.

"I don't understand. I said I like him."

The blonde sighed.

"Let me put it like this; if you could choose between playing football and seeing Sena-san again, which would you choose?"

Shin froze for a second; then, he replied with, "If I see Sena again, wouldn't that mean I'm playing football?"

"Not unless you like him and tell him," the somewhat exasperated receiver responded, giving his teammate a pitiful look. "Sometimes, I swear, you're like an emotional robot."

Shin frowned. "So what you're asking is, do I like him?"

"Do you want to kiss him?"

This was the final question that cause the linebacker to blank; kissing Sena Kobayakawa? The scene played through his head several times; he thought back to when he had gotten unbearably close to the smaller boy. If that feeling was anything like the feeling of kissing him, he wouldn't mind experiencing it again in the slightest.

Suddenly, it was as if every time he had touched Sena, had tackled him was some clue to unlock a great mystery; just how did he feel about the brunet? Pushing the petite boy to the ground, and then watching him rise up and overcome him; Shin had seen it enough times to know that finally sealing his victory of winning over Sena could only be done correctly with a kiss, thus signifying that Shin had really actually won Sena himself.

As bizarre as Sakuraba's question was, Shin did like him, in all the ways he felt he could. The only problem was how Sena would feel about Shin kissing him. But the question his friend was asking was directed towards him, and not Eyeshield 21.

"Yes," Shin finally replied, an unnamable feeling bubbling up in his veins. "I do want to."

The blond smiled softly. "Then go for it."

Meanwhile, Sena was waiting awkwardly where Shin had left him, contemplating whether it'd be okay to go over to the punch bowl as well; he seemed to be the only one without a partner in the dancing crowd, and he was feeling somewhat lonely.

Deciding to go himself, he pushed somewhat weakly through the throng, looking around for the punch table. Finally, his lustrous eyes caught sight of the table, which was draped with a glittery black table cloth.

His eyes went from the red plastic cups, then to the large, clear bowl of punch, and then they rested on the familiar, muscular arm that was currently ladling fruit punch into a cup.

"Shin-san?" the brunet called out, squinting in the lack of lighting of the gym.

"My, oh, my. If it isn't Eyeshield twenty one," a familiar voice then called out in response. As the figure approached him, Sena saw that it wasn't Shin; it was Agon Kongo of the Shinryuiji Nagas.

"Agon," the running back replied somewhat tersely, fear a bit evident in his eyes. "I didn't know you were here."

"Well, here I am," the sunglasses-wearing man said in response, a somewhat sadistic grin worn on his face. Slowly, he slinked an arm around Sena's waist. "The question is, why the hell are you here, you talentless freak?"

He squeezed his arm tightly around the smaller male's abdomen; Sena found it harder to breath as he tried to ignore the pain, hoping the menacing football player would just go away.

"Answer me," Agon ordered, his hold not weakening.

"I was invited," Sena managed, trying to pry the taller's arm away. It didn't budge.

"By who?"

"Sena?"

The chocolate-eyed boy looked towards the new voice; he felt relief course through his body. It was Shin, looking somewhat upset.

"Oh, so you're the one he's with," Agon then said, his smirk dissipating. Shin's coal eyes glanced quickly to the Naga player's arm, which was currently straining against Sena's own and the boy's waist.

Shin's eyes darkened a shade. They narrowed slightly, and Sena saw his fist clench and unclench by his side.

"Get away from him," the raven said coldly, taking a step closer. Agon's grasp around the petite boy's waist only tightened, if anything.

"And if I don't?" was the demonic-sounding reply.

Shin said nothing; he merely took yet another step forward, looking Agon fiercely in the eyes.

"Why do you even care about this weak trash?" the dread-wearing man asked incredulously, further tightening his grip around Sena; the brunet let out a sharp gasp of pain.

That was all it took to give Shin the okay; without even a warning, he brought up his fist to about eyelevel and squarely punched Agon in the face.

Agon stumbled backwards as Sena used this opportunity to wrench free of his grasp; finally, the sunglasses-sporting male fell into the punch bowl, knocking it and the table to the floor.

Without even a word, the dark-haired male grabbed Sena's hand and promptly exited the gym, pulling his bewildered date along with him.

Shin continued walking until he came across the familiar courtyard that he used to cross from third period to fourth period everyday; Sakuraba had been right.

A senior couple had been walking away when they arrived; the school's outside walls were decorated with white ornamental lights, and a stone fountain had been put in the middle of the clearance. There was also a stone bench, and soft piano music emanating from an unknown source.

_This is a bit overly romantic, _Sena thought as his eyes scanned the courtyard. Thankful, he looked to Shin.

"Thank you for that back there," he said gratefully, capturing his rival's attention once again. "But you shouldn't have done that. Agon's going to come after you."

"I don't care," Shin said under his breath, relinquishing Sena's hand from his own. "I'm just glad you're okay."

Sena's face reddened a hue. He looked around once again, trying to avoid the linebacker's piercing gaze.

"What is this place?" the brunet asked, taking a step back to get a better look at the fountain.

"This is where couples go to have their first kiss," Shin replied bluntly, reiterating what Sakuraba had said.

He took a step forward, as Sena blanched with comprehension and began stammering sentence fragments such as, "But we're…Mamori…what do you mean?"

As the dark-haired boy's foot connected with the ground once more, however, the lights all went out, the music stopped, and the fountain ceased its bubbling.

Shin had pulled the plug to the main power outlet with his foot; tripping over the cord had caused him to lose his balance, and he fell forward, pushing Sena into the brick wall behind him and reaching his arms out, breaking his fall.

"A-are you okay?" Sena said somewhat quietly, finding their current position eerily similar to the time they had been in the classroom. The weird thing was, the running back really didn't mind their close proximity this time.

Shin held his breath; Sena was, once again that week, submissively before him, his face flushed and his body helpless. If the raven was ever going to admit to the boy that he liked him, that he wanted to kiss him, now was the time to do so.

"Sena," he whispered somewhat hoarsely, very tenderly raising his hand to about chest level. "Are you uncomfortable?"

"No," was the equally quiet reply as Sena's eyes locked on Shin's; fleetingly, he thought back to the deciding match between Deimon and Oujou, and when Shin had said everything with his gaze.

He wondered if maybe he could tell what Shin was trying to convey this time. The two stared at each other long and deep, the raven's hand still raised patiently.

Shin had something important to say to him; this much he could tell. He waited patiently, his eyes wide. Finally, the linebacker's lips parted and he began to speak.

"I like you, Sena."

It was if every sound in the night stopped; although the two could hear the music coming from the gym, they didn't register it in their heads. All that they were thinking about now was the other and their reaction, and Sena was still trying to figure out why Shin had raised his hand.

Then, with one last stare into the raven's eyes, the running back realized exactly what it was he had needed to do ever since the start of the Christmas Bowl tournament.

Slowly, he linked his hand with Shin's raised one, tightly gripping with his fingers.

"Th-thanks," he replied, his voice shaky. "I like you, too, Shin-san."

Shin paused, savoring the moment; once again, his hand was linked with Eyeshield's and, finally, his feelings were known and returned.

"I'm happy," he breathed, leaning in ever closer, his chest flush up against the chest of the boy before him's. "Can I…kiss you?"

Sena inhaled sharply; slowly, he let the breath out, trying to steady his erratic heartbeat. He fervently nodded, and Shin, his own breathing a little short for the first time in his life, unsurely leant forward, the only thought in his mind being Sena.

Gently, Shin brushed his lips against the younger's and then slowly pressed his mouth against the brunet's, finally feeling the warm, erotic feeling of Sena's supple lips against his own.

Despite being his first kiss, Shin felt as though he needed more contact and ardently wrapped his arm around Sena's waist, deepening their connection; it felt nothing like the way Agon had handled him earlier. Sena's eyes dropped from half-mast to all the way shut, only focusing on the feeling of Shin's prying mouth.

After what seemed like minutes, the two reluctantly broke apart, somewhat in awe of themselves.

"I guess this means…," Sena began awkwardly, breaking the not-at-all uncomfortable silence. "We're, um…"

Not letting the petite boy finish his sentence, Shin once again took his hand and began to lead him back to the prom, ignoring looks from passerby.

"We're anything you want us to be, Sena," the raven replied in response to the Deimon player's earlier statement. "The prom's almost over, though."

"What do you want to do?"

"I want to dance with you."

And so, feeling euphoric and all together accomplished inside, the two searched for their previous spot on the dance floor; much to Shin's somewhat relief, Sakuraba was there with Takami, and the two appeared to be having a great time.

"So…how'd it go?" the blonde asked cheekily, patting Shin on the back.

"It went well," was the reply as he looked once again to Sena, who smiled feebly back at him.

"Okay, everybody!" a feminine voice came over the speakers as the music was cut off abruptly. "This last one is a slow song, for all your couples out there! But before we play it, we'd like to thank you all for coming tonight!"

Cheers erupted throughout the gym; Sena recognized the voice as Suzuna's.

"And let's not forget the girl who made this all possible: Mamori Anezaki!"

More cheers and applause resounded, although probably less than half of the attendees knew who Mamori was.

"Thank you! Here's the last song!"

Finally, a piano and strings ballad began to slowly pulse through the speakers; suddenly, everyone grew closer to their partner, and the lighting changed to a softer hue that resembled the light of the moon.

Sena's eyes widened as Shin pulled him against his chest once again; upon looking around, the brunet saw that Takami and Sakuraba had escaped to the far corner to dance. Sena then looked to Shin; the intensity that the elder man stared at him was so mystifying that he wondered how the man could possible keep up that stare and still sway in time to the music, managing to steer the two of them out of the path of the other couples.

"I had fun tonight, Sena," Shin whispered, not sure really what to say; it had all been said. But then, there were so many more things he could say.

"Yeah, Mamori-neechan did a good job setting up the prom," the brown-haired boy replied, smiling widely.

Shin gave a small grin as well, and the two stayed locked together until the end of the song; the crown slowly dissipated and piled out of the gym. Shin and Sena were among the last to go.

They walked to the train station together and Shin was reminded immensely of when Sakuraba and him had walked to it earlier that day.

"I guess I'll see you next game," Sena said somewhat awkwardly as the two entered the station.

"Yeah," was the reply as Shin tried with every ounce of his strength not to break the ticket gate.

Sena, remembering that the linebacker had a history of being bad with electronics, quickly pushed the bar down for him.

"Thanks," Shin said as the two boarded the train.

Meanwhile, Hiruma was off checking everything his surveillance cameras had recorded.

* * *

a/n (again): Gah, Shin is so hard to keep in character. Anyways, I plan to have Shin take Sena back to his place and have a lemon wrote up. :3 Please, please review!


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